Essential
Vedic Mantras to get rid of Human pain & Sufferings
The
Sanskrit word “mantra,”
from the roots “manas” (the linear thinking mind) and “tra” (to cross over),
has found common use in Western vernacular.
Though
today we tend to equate mantras with spiritual aphorisms or repeated
affirmations, mantras are traditionally defined as “sonic formulae that take us
beyond, or through, the discursive faculties of the mind and connect our
awareness directly and immediately to deep states of energy and consciousness,”.
The Mantra’s are the Yoga of
Sound: Tapping the Hidden Power of Music and Chant. Many ancient mantras serve as vehicles
for the mind to cross over the material world and into enlightenment.
The
basic principle of mantra recitation is this: to use sound to cut through
mental clutter, facilitate meditation practice, and create a deeper state of
awareness. “A mantra provides a way to go beyond negative thoughts,”
“Why
should we attempt to go beyond negative thoughts? All of our words spoken, or
said silently in our minds, create the reality we live in.” Mantras, then, not
only have the power to evoke holiness or positivity, but indeed they can
transform the reality of our perception.
Many of
the sacred mantras chanted in yoga studios today are thousands of years old,
dating back to Vedic times, and were created by sages and practitioners of
early Hinduism and Buddhism. Sanskrit mantras are said to be particularly
sacred because of the sounds and syllables that make up this ancient language.
The
Heart Sutra
OM Gate,
Gate, Para gate, Para Sam gate Bodhi svaha
Means:
Gone,
Gone, gone beyond Gone utterly beyond
Oh,
what an Awakening
There
are 84 meridians on the roof of the tongue that are stimulated through Sanskrit
mantra, and scientific evidence shows that mantras can facilitate the release
of secretions that strengthen our immune and neurological systems. “Yogic
mantras stimulate the secretions of the pituitary gland, which is located only
millimeters from the palate…certain permutations send signals to the command
centers of the brain—the hypothalamus, and the pituitary, primarily, and also
to the pineal gland, [which] orchestrate a healing response and send out
packets of information in the form of neurotransmitters and chemicals, in the
brain and throughout the body.
Though
some common mantras call upon Hindu deities, their main purpose is to cultivate
awareness, intention, and elevated connection. “Mantras become the interface
for mankind interacting with his spiritual world.
Though
these mantras link to a specific religious tradition, the power of sound is
paramount. “Virtually all spiritual traditions see sound as a key component of
practice and connection to the divine or sacred. “The most important mantra of
all, Om, is completely non-denominational and
non-religious in the sense that it’s basic symbolism is creation itself.”
Creation, and the evocation of its properties, are not owned by any religious
tradition.
The
following phrases are a few examples of common mantras you may encounter in
yoga class or meditation.
Om Namah Shivaya
This salutation to Shiva, lord of destruction and transformation, and one of the primary gods of the Hindu Trinity, is perhaps the most common mantra in the Hindu and yogic traditions. “Om Namah Shivaya” is often referred to as “the five-syllable-mantra”—evoking the five elements of existence: earth, water, fire, air, and space. It is a Vedic mantra said to be both purifying and a healing. This mantra is particularly potent given Shiva’s connection to death and destruction. A key element of yogic philosophy is coming to terms with our own mortality and the impermanence of existence. Om Namah Shivaya, then, is not only elevating in the sense that it brings the chanter closer to the divine, but also in its courageous affirmation: I take solace even in the unknowable and unimaginable path of destruction.
This salutation to Shiva, lord of destruction and transformation, and one of the primary gods of the Hindu Trinity, is perhaps the most common mantra in the Hindu and yogic traditions. “Om Namah Shivaya” is often referred to as “the five-syllable-mantra”—evoking the five elements of existence: earth, water, fire, air, and space. It is a Vedic mantra said to be both purifying and a healing. This mantra is particularly potent given Shiva’s connection to death and destruction. A key element of yogic philosophy is coming to terms with our own mortality and the impermanence of existence. Om Namah Shivaya, then, is not only elevating in the sense that it brings the chanter closer to the divine, but also in its courageous affirmation: I take solace even in the unknowable and unimaginable path of destruction.
This powerful mantra, which has deep roots in India and in Tibet, is one of the most commonly chanted mantras in the world. Every Tibetan child is taught Om Mani Padme Hum by their parents, and many Tibetan Buddhists chant the mantra as part of their ritual practice, thousands of times per day. Its meaning, as translated by the Dalai Lama, is: “The jewel is in the lotus, or praise to the jewel in the lotus.” The lotus, in the yogic tradition, symbolizes the profound ability of transformation: to emerge out of mud and blossom into a thousand-petaled flower.
This Hindu and Buddhist chant, which arises out of the Vedas, has been translated most commonly as, “May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.” In many ways, this mantra is the be-all and end-all for yogic purpose, as well as a clear embodiment of what the 14th Dalai Lama likes to call the spiritual practice of “enlightened self-interest.” We chant for our own personal transformation, not because we personally desire enlightenment, but rather so that we may contribute to the global transformation that will alleviate suffering and herald equality. “By working for the well-being for others.
Benefits
of Chanting Vedic Mantras
Mantras can help improve your inner and outer being. Bring peace, harmony and
balance at home, offices, relationships and take you further on your spiritual
journey. Every mantra invokes a specific energy and has a specific effect on
the body and environment, some of these being,
Manifestation
of thought
Awakening
of higher centers in the body
Warding
off negativity and heaviness
Mental
peace and focus
Stillness
of body and mind
Clarity
of thought
Emotional
decongestion
Reduced
levels of hyperactivity
When a man constantly thinks about objects, attachment for those objects arises. From attachment is born desire, and from desire is born anger. From anger comes delusion, from delusion comes loss of memory, from loss of memory comes destruction of intellect, and once the intellect is destroyed, he perishes.
